By Saskia Warrick
Former Region Two Regional Executive Officer (REO), Denis Jaikaran, faced intense questioning at a recent session of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) regarding the awarding of contracts in 2019.
The focus of the PAC hearing was on the award of contracts totaling $63.188 million without following proper procurement procedures.
According to the 2019 Auditor General Report, the regional administration awarded these contracts to various suppliers without public tendering, instead opting for obtaining quotations.
During the hearing, Jaikaran stated that he could not recall the reason for not utilizing public tendering, emphasizing that he no longer held the position of REO and did not have access to relevant information.
PAC Member Minister Juan Edghill highlighted discrepancies in the documentation, indicating that while restrictive tendering was reported, it was not properly documented, leading to the appearance of using a three-quote system instead.
Minister Edghill requested the names of suppliers and contractors involved in these projects for further investigation.